Challenge
Designing for a network of this scope required navigating two very specific constraints. The brand had to align with the visual language of the UN Sustainable Development Goals — an internationally recognised system of 17 colours that carries enormous symbolic weight — without simply reproducing it. It also had to carry the authority of Justus Liebig University, a serious academic institution with its own established identity.
At the same time, the design had to work across an enormous range of formats: research publications, conference brochures, digital communications, and physical merchandise for events in multiple countries. The identity needed to be systematisable — usable by different teams and partners without losing coherence.
Solution
The central mark is a ring of concentric arcs made from the 17 SDG colours — a visual metaphor for the network's core idea of interconnection and nexus between goals. The mark is distinctive, immediately readable, and flexible: it scales from a pin badge to a lanyard pattern to a conference stage, and it works in full colour, greyscale, and reversed.
The full colour palette was derived from the UN SDG system and documented with CMYK, RGB, and HEX values for consistent reproduction in print and digital contexts globally.
The welcome brochure establishes the publication template: a strong cover with full-bleed photography and co-branding (JLU, DAAD), a clear typographic grid for research content, and SDG-colour accent sections for navigating themes. Conference merchandise — pin badges in three colourways, a branded lanyard with repeating icon pattern, and a tote bag — extend the brand into the physical event space.
Our Services
- Corporate Design: Logo system with multiple variants, complete 18-colour SDG-derived palette, and brand application guidelines
- Print Design: Welcome brochure, research publication templates with themed section colour coding
- Brand System: Scalable identity designed for use by multiple network members, partner institutions, and event teams globally
Result
A professional and internationally credible visual identity that gives the SDGnexus Network a distinctive presence across research publications, conference halls, and digital channels — connecting the urgency of global sustainability work with the rigour of a major German research university.
